Ethical Dilemas in Jerry Maguire

I first watched Jerry Maguire when it came out in the movies in 1996, I enjoyed it and thought it was an excellent movie. I watched the movie again for this assignment and realized a lot of ethical issues and dilemmas that are addressed in the movie. Having been in the workforce as long as I have in conjunction to this class I feel that I can better identify ethical issues found in Jerry Maguire. There is a lot to write about on the ethical issues covered in the movie, I am sure I am not listing all but will cover the ones that stood out to me.

The facts about Jerry Maguire priorities and what is viewed as important in the movie

• Money = success (Perfectionism)

• Career comes before clients well-being (health)

• Family and their concerns are irrelevant issues (shallow / insensitive to families concerns)

• Jerry’s Narcissism / Rod’s egotistical behaviors

• Greed - The higher the contract he can get for his clients the more money agents get

• Business world is shed in a negative light

• Winning is the most important thing – fearing failure

• Betrayal is part of the game in the workplace by co-worker and friends

• Lack of respect for women/ lack of intimacy

• Dishonesty – Negotiation tactics (asking for personal favors and considerations when negotiating a contract). Rules are often bent

• Not treating his clients the same (focusing more and spending more time on players that can generate money and leaving the others at the bottom of the priority list).

• Values/beliefs of right vs wrong does not matter in a culture where everything goes just to close a deal or get the most money

Stakeholders – Clients (the Athletes), families, company, employees, fans, unions and self.

Consequences – Termination of contract either Jerry or his clients. Expensive to recruit and train new employees.

Long Term - Death of an athlete if forced to ignore doctors’ orders and continue playing, forced to change careers. Concern for family’s status and livelihood.

Short Term - Unemployment, bad reputation, blackballed in his field, having to start over

Deontology – The duty or obligation that Rod felt as the main provider of his family. Also Jerry’s need to share the mission with his co-workers to help them get out of the funk that they found themselves in and did not realize.

Virtue Ethics – Thinking how this affects everyone as a whole. Jerry’s need to